Wagon-brake



H. W. SMITH. WAGON BRAKE.

(No Model.)

Patented Nov. l1, 1890.

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i UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

IIERBER'I lV. SMITH, OF EVERTON, MISSOURI.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,515, 'dated November 11, 1890.

Y Application led August '7, 1890. Serial No. 361,270. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Everton, in the county of Dade and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVagon-Brakes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in a new and improved automatic wagon and carriage brake, which is adapted for all kinds of vehicles in which the backing or holding back of the horse or horses automatically applies the brakes to the Wheels, my invention being also provided with means for locking the device so that the horses can, when desired, back without applying the brakes, and with means whereby the brakes may be applied by hand, when desired.

The invention will be hereinafter fully dcscribed and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying' drawings, Figure lis a bottom perspective vieu7 of a running-gear provided with my new and improved automatic brake. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a detail View, on au enlarged scale, of the forward part of the mechanism.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A and A indicate the front and rear sections of a vehicle running-gear. To the front bar A2 is secured in bearings Asa crankshaft I3, having the central crank B, and having its ends bent out at right angles. In these ends are pivotally secured the rear ends of the tongueirons C Around the centralcrank of the shaft B is placed a small clevis D,between the fiattened ends of which is pivoted the forward end of a metal rod E. The brake-bar F is supported by hangers G G from the ends of a cross-bar H, secured on the running-gear, the brake-bar having at its ends the usual shoes F F. The rear end of the rod E is connected to the center of the brake-bar; and it will now be seen that as soon as the horses begin t3 hold back, as in going down an ineline or hill, the tongue will push down and backward the bent ends of the crank-shaft,

thus turning the said shaft and pressing the rod E back, which in turn pushes the brakebar back, and thus automatically applies the brake-shoes to the rear wheels, while the moment the level is reached and the team starts forward again the bent ends of the crank-shaft are drawn forward, thus swinging the brakebar and brakeshoes forward clear of the rear wheels.

To enable the rod E to be adj usted to suit adjustments of the ru nning-gear, which bring the front and rear wheels nearer together or farther apart, I may form the rear end of rod E with a slot E and pass it adj ustably through a bearing I, using a set-screw .I and nut J to hold the end of the rod at the point to which it is adjusted.

To the front of the running-gear is secured the metal frame K, in which is mounted the locking-lever L, and it will be seen that by turning the handle of this lever down to the left, as shown in the detail view, Fig. 3, the hooked end of the lockingbolt L (this bolt being formed in an L shape) will press down back of the central crank of the shaft B, locking the shaft and rendering it impossible for it to turn. The shaft can thus be locked to permit of the horses backing, when required, without putt-ing on the brakes, while by turning the handle of the lever down to the left the hooked end of the locking-bolt is freed from the crank of the shaft and the automatic brake is ready to operate.

To apply the brake by hand I employ the rear crank-shaft M, one end of which is bent up to forni a handle M2, while the crank of the shaft is pivot-ally connected by a short rod N to the brake-bar F. The rod N is slotted and passes through a bearing 0, being held where adjusted by a screw P and nut P.

The construction, operation, and. advantages of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings.

It will be seen that my new and improved automatic brake is simple and strong in construction and thoroughly effective in its operation. The rear end of the rod E can of course be pivobed or secured permanently to the brake-bar, instead of being slotted and adjustably secured thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what IOC) Ic1aim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

l. The combination of the Crank-shaft having the bent ends, to which the shafts or tongue is attached, the suspended brakebar having the brake-shoes, the rod connecting the crank of the shaft with the brakebar, and the locking-lever mounted in the supporting-frame and having the lookingxo bolt L', substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, With the crank-shaft having` the bent ends, to which the shafts or tongue is attached, the suspended brake-bar having the brake-shoes, and the rod eon- 

